Boot or shoe form



(no M odl.) 4 J. W. ROGERS.

BOOT 0R SHOE FORM.

No. 352,153. Pat-eiit-d Nov. 9,1886;

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JOSIAH W. ROGERS, OF BEVERLY, MAssAoHUsErrsQ BOOT OR SHOE FORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,153 dated November 9, 1886 Application filed March 13, 1886. Serial No. 195,150. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may cancer-n:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH W. ROGERS, a citizen of the United States, residingat'Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot and Shoe Forms; and I do hereby declare that the same are fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in boot and shoe forms for the purpose of retaining the proper shape of the vampsof boots and shoes and prevent them'from deiacement and injury while in the process of being manufactured. v

The invention is carried out as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, where Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved boot or shoe form; and Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of it, shown as being inserted within a boot or shoe.

Similar letters refer to similar parts whereparts of the drawings.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes, after the outer sole has been sewed, pegged, or otherwise attached to the upper, the boot or shoe has to undergo a series of finishing processes, among which may be mentioned trimming and burnishing the sole-edge; finishing or bufiing the bottom of the outer sole; attaching, trimming, and burnishing the heelfand blacking the upper, 850., and during such manipulationsit is desirable that the toe or vamp portion should be retained in its proper shape, it

. being the portion of the boot or shoe that is most liable to being crushed, defaced, or injured while the boot or shoe is being finished, as above set forth.

Heretofore a solid wooden last has been introduced into the boot or shoe; but, being hard and unyielding, the boot or shoe upper is liable to injury by being brought in contact with hard substances or objects. Such wooden or other unyielding lasts, besides being expensive are also objectionable, from the fact that they must be removed from within the boots and shoes when the heel is being. attached. To obviate such objections I construct my improved boot and shoe form as follows:

In the drawings, or represents my improved boot or shoe form made of india-rubber, guttatoe and vamp portion of the last, so that when introduced into the toe and vamp portion of the boot or shoe it shall properly fill the same and retain the desired shape of such part or parts, so as to prevent the toe or vamp, or toe and vamp portions, from being defaced or crushed in during the subsequent process of finishing the boot or shoe. The form a, being elastic or yielding, it will properly fill and extend the toe and vamp portions of the boot or shoe, and it will permit the vamp to yield and prevent it from defacement and injury if brought in contact with hard substances and objects. If so desired it may simply be pushed into the vamp portion of the boot or shoe and retained there by its expansive and frictional resistance properties and provided with a suitable lip, or projection, by which it may be pulled out'when the boot or shoe is finished, although in practice I prefer to provide it with a spring-metal bar or plate, b, as shown, such bar or plate being secured to'the elastic form a in any suitable manner, its rear end being bent upward, as shown at b, and adapted to rest against the interior of the rear portion of the upper of the boot or shoe 0, as shown in Fig. 2, such upwardly-projecting portion, b, of the bar or plate I) being preferably made of a curvature corresponding to that of the rear portion of the boot or shoe. By the use of such spring-metal bar or plate I; b the yielding form a will be prevented from working out of position within the vamp or toe portion of the boot or shoe during the subsequent pro. cess of finishing it. v

For the purpose of easily withdrawing the form a from within the boot or shoewhen no longer required I prefer to terminate the upper end of the vertical portion b as a hook or' 'bend, b, for the operator to take hold of when removing the form a. 'By this arrangement and construction I obtain a form that can be easily inserted in and withdrawn from the boot or shoe, and one that will readily conform to the curvatures of the vamp, and, being yielding, it will prevent the vamp portion of the upper from defacement and injury if brought in contact with hard objects or substances. Another advantage of this kind of boot or shoe form is that it may be retained within the boot or shoe while the heel is being attached, trimmed, and burnished, as it offers no obstruction to such operation, and is in this respect a great improvement on the ordinary wooden or rigid last, that of necessity has to be removed during such operation.

Having thus fully described the nature, c011- struction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1. The herein-described improved boot or shoe former, consisting of the yielding solid block a, shaped to conform to or nearly so to the toe or vamp portion of the last, and adapted to be introduced into the toe or vamp portion of a boot or shoe, as and for the purpose set forth. I

2. Theyielding vamp form a, combined with the metal bar or plate I), having rear portion, 1), adapted to rest against the interior of the rear portion of the upper of a boot or shoe, as herein set forth and described.

3. The yielding vamp form a, combined with the metal bar or plate b, having rear'portion, 1), adapted to rest against the interior rear portion of the boot or shoe upper and terminating as a bend or hook I), as and for the purpose set forth and described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

JOSIAH \V. ROGERS.

\Vitnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, F. A. RoGnRs. 

